Describe the Night NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (203)
See it if You like a unique plot. The location and time periods along with the connection to all three is unlike anything you've experienced.
Don't see it if You don't have the patience for a massive plot to completely play out. It takes a long time to see all the connections.
See it if you like intelligent drama that challenges you.
Don't see it if you're not up for a play that makes you work to follow it.
See it if you enjoy sprawling epics that jump in timeline.
Don't see it if you are not a fan of history.
See it if You enjoy a though provoking experience. You can go with the flow and wait to see how all the strings attach. Enjoy depth.
Don't see it if You need linear play structure. Seek a light sit back and entertain me play.
See it if you love beautiful, intimate scenes in a complex spider web of a story.
Don't see it if you require a straight-forward, easily digestible play.
See it if you enjoy historical dramas even if they are mixed with a pinch of fiction. A wonderful show-stealing performance by Tina Benko.
Don't see it if you can't sit still for three hours. Or if you do not like historical plays not told in chronological order. Read more
See it if You like historical drama based on real people but related with some creative license. An ambitious production with great acting.
Don't see it if You don’t like long dramatic plays with a non-linear storyline requiring attention to detail.
See it if you like historical shows based over time. See it if you like puzzling shows. It takes a patience to understand what is happening.
Don't see it if you need your plots in chronological order or if you only like fast paced shows. Very dense material.
Critic Reviews (32)
“A 'Russian fantasia' that aspires to the brilliance of 'Angels in America'...and sometimes brushes up against it...Directed with clarity and flair by Sardelli with a bravura cast who are all superb...The entire cast devours their roles with equal parts gusto and glee...It's complicated storytelling and some may find it too dry or too soulless for their taste...But be brave and take the plunge. Writing this provocative and imaginative deserves our attention and admiration.”
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“Mixing historical characters and fictional ones, the play covers 90 years of Russian history from 1920 to 2010 and travels to ten locales in three countries. The pertinent themes are that of fake news and repression in a totalitarian state but at almost three hours, the play becomes both tiresome and convoluted. Another problem is that most viewers are unlikely to know where the truth ends and where Joseph's invention begins.”
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“'Describe the Night' is undoubtedly Joseph's most ambitious play. The play is epic, both in in terms of its length and scope...Joseph is a good enough storyteller to ensure that this is a unified and absorbing historic drama even though it jumps back and forth in time and setting...A top notch cast...If there's any weak spot in this otherwise smartly constructed and presented drama, it's in the final scene which works too hard to put everything into a neat package.”
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"Part of the great fun comes from seeing how the stories intersect as the play shifts between different time periods and relationships. Joseph does a masterful job crafting rich characters whose tragedies and triumphs are immediately compelling...Director Giovanna Sardelli displays a skilled hand in keeping the many moving pieces flowing gracefully...Expertly cast...Joseph’s warnings about politics, corruption, and manipulation couldn’t be any more resonant right now."
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"Cryptic, lyrical, engrossing, if occasionally ponderous...What distinguishes Joseph’s work is his non-linear time line...It can get confusing—he’s not overly generous with clues—but it’s also intriguing...Sardelli’s direction is straightforward but just a little bit sluggish...Burstein and Grenier make perfect foils for each other, as both friends and foes...'Describe the Night' effectively summons up the Cold War era in a very character-driven way."
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“’Describe the Night’ is a question for which there is no answer...Joseph plays connect-the-dots with historical facts and figures spanning 90 years that might – or might not – have any connection, and asks us to see a familiar face in the resulting picture...The use of such authentic and historically accurate events and characters imbue ‘Describe the Night’ with great plausibility...While it could have used some trimming, ‘Describe the Night’ is a compelling story."
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"The ambition of Joseph’s work is stunning. The intricacies he creates by weaving together the stories of both historical and fictional characters is impressive. The play encapsulates the atmosphere of repression, terror, and truth twisting of Communist Russia and the desperation it engendered for those behind the Iron Curtain, while somehow managing to infuse it with wry humor. The story feels particularly poignant in this political environment."
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"We are drawn in, bit by bit, never really able to see the grandness of this structurally solid play until the final scene. And then it all comes together, shockingly. Maybe a bit too tidy, but the play’s intricate and finely woven plot outweighs the contrivance of the intertwined relationships, leaving us fully enthralled until the elegant ending...It is no lie to say how funny and touching, smart and engrossing, and powerfully exciting and engaging 'Describe the Night' is."
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